Congress adjourns for the summer without passing key bills

Congress has adjourned for the summer without passing key bills.

(Image credit: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

published 14 July 2016

Congress on Thursday adjourned for the summer without finalizing legislation on key issues such as the Zika virus, gun control, and government spending. One bill aimed at preventing terror suspects from buying guns was left on the table after Republicans and Democrats could not agree on the severity of restrictions; legislation targeting the Zika virus fell short as lawmakers could not compromise on appropriate funding to fight the disease, which experts say could pose a greater risk as mosquitoes breed over the summer months. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) did, however, sign a bipartisan bill aimed at combating the opioid epidemic.

The recess will last seven weeks, a period of time some Democratic aides say is the longest since the advent of the practice in the 1960s, Talking Points Memo reports. This year's break is also longer than usual, due to this summer's nominating conventions and the fact that the session was adjourned a day early.